Dual control operating mechanism for motor vehicles



g R. B. SPRINKEL 2,406,261

DUAL CONTROL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Fil ed Oct. 30, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Robpni' 3.15 prjnl'el,

Aug. 20, 1946. R. B. SPRINKEL 2,406,261

DUAL CONTROL ormuvrme MECHANISM FOR: uowon VEHICLES Filed 001;. 30, 1944 s Sheets-Shae; 2

.3 m M Q um $2... 3

Aug. 20, 1946. R. B. SPRINKEL I 2,405,251

DUAL CONTROL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed 001;. so, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet s .Fj'rig. 7. 110 120 Rgber}.B.Jpr;inkeZ,

Patented Aug. 20, 1946 nun. con'rnot ornna'rme MECHANISM roauo'roavamoms i Robert a. SprlnkehWashingfton, n. 0. Application Oetober so. 1944', Serial No. 561,077

The present invention relates to a new and improved dual control mechanism for operating and steering motor vehicles.

An essential feature of the invention consists in providing simple, efficient and positive dual control means for automobile and the like, which comprises a minimum number of parts that can economically be installed on any type of automobile at a minimum expenditure of time and labor. mary operating and steering mechanism on the driver side of the vehicle and an auxiliary operating and steering mechanism on the non-driving or auxiliary driver side of the vehicle. The parts are constructed and arranged so that when the vehicle is being operated by either the driver or the auxiliary driver, the control of the operation and steering of the vehicle can at any time be taken over by the other driver. The dual control mechanism is especially suitable for ,use in instructing operators or novices to drive a car,

and provides means whereby the instructor can immediately take over control to avoid an accident or collision by disconnecting the motor from the wheels and applying the brakes in order to render inoperative the control of the car by the driver.

The dual control mechanism may also be installed as standard equipment or readily connected to cars so that the occupants of the front seat may interchangeably take over the driving of the car without the inconvenience of changing places, when the driver for any reason wishes to relinquish control of the car. The dual control mechanism also provides safety means wherein the occupant of the front seat next to the driver can, in an emergency such as to avoid an accident or collision, immediately assume control of the vehicle by actuation of an auxiliary clutch and an auxiliary brake pedal. Additional- The dual control means includes a pri- 20mm. (cl. lac-a1) Figure 3 is a detailed plan view of a part of the mechanism.

Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse view taken substantially along the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detailed plan view'showing the operative connection of the accelerator pedals with the carburetor.

And Figure 7 is a transverse view looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings'in which like numerals indicate like parts in the several views, in designates the chassis frame of an automobile or other suitable motorvehicle, H and I2 the front wheels, and I3 and H the steering knuckles.

0n the left side of the automobile adjacent the front seat is a steering mechanism of conventional type, which includes a steering column ii in which rotatably is mounted a steering shaft pivoted as at 25 to a bracket 26 fastened to one side of the chassis frame iii. A longitudinal rod 28 is connected at its forward end as at 29 to the arm 24 and has its rear end connected as at 30 to a link 3|. The lower end of the link 3| is fastened as at 32 to a transversely disposed rocker shaft 33 mounted in bearing members 34 secured by the bolts 35 to the under side of the chassis frame III. A lug 36 extends laterally from the pedal 23 (Fig. 3) and carries a link 31 to which ly, the accelerator pedals may be selectively operated to control the flow of gasoline mixture to.

is connected at one end, a coil spring 38 that has its opposite end fastened to a flange 38 on a base member 40 fastened by the bolts 4| to the chassis frame l0. Thetension of the spring 38 acts to normally raise the foot pedal 23. A flange 42 extends outwardly from the arm 24 and has a threaded opening for receiving a complementary threaded bolt 43 (Fig. 4), the lower end of which is arranged to engage a plate 44 on the chassis frame it so as to constitute a stop for limiting the movement of the clutch pedal 23 in a clockwise direction. A longitudinally extending link 45 is connected at its rear end by a pin 48 to the pedal 23 and has at its opposite end an elongated slot 41 in which is slidably mounted a lug 48 carried by an arm 49 of a rocker shaft 50. The rocker shaft Ell extends transversely of the frame 3 of the car and may be provided at its ends with concave surfaces or balls 5| arranged to fit in complementary curved sockets formed in the sup, porting members 52 carried by the spaced arms 53. One of the arms 53 extends upwardly from the base 40 and the other is suitably connected to the frame of the vehicle. An arm 54 parallel with the arm 49 extends outwardly from the rocker shaft 50 and is connected as at 55 to link 56 which in turn engages as at 51 one end of an operating lever 58 which is pivoted at 59 to a bracket 60 on the frame. The opposite end of the lever 58 contacts as at H with a part of the clutch mechanism 62 so that the parts when in normal position (Fig. 3) have the clutch pedal 23 in operative engagement, with the clutch 62.

A foot brake pedal 63 is connected by a shaft 64 to an upstanding bracket member 65 mounted on a base plate 66 (Fig. 3) carried by the chassis frame I0.' The brake pedal 63 is also connected at 61 to one end of a rod 68, the opposite end of which is connected as at 69 to an arm I secured as at 'II to a transverse rotatable shaft 12 fastened to the side frame by the bearing members 34 and bolts 35. A master cylinder I3 is provided with a reciprocating plunger or piston rod 13' which is operatively connected to the foot pedal 63 through the shaft 64. A pipe 14, having a branch connection 15 with pipes I6 and 11, supplies the braking fluid from the master cylinder I3 to the front and rear brakes of the car (Fig. 3). Operation of the foot pedal 63 moves the plunger I3 to force the braking fluid from the cylinder I3 through the pipes 14, I5, 16 and I1 to the brakes to apply the same, and release of the foot pedal 63 allows the braking fluid to be returned to the cylinder I3. The brake pedal 63 is substantially similar in construction to the clutch pedal23 and is normally maintained in its upward or released position by a coil spring 18 connected at one end as at 19 to the shaft 64. and having its opposite end attached to a fixed member on the car.

The front seat of the car adjacent the driyer or operator, is provided with an auxiliary steering column 80 parallel to the steering column I and receives a steering shaft to which is connected at its upper end an auxiliar steering wheel 8| (Fig. 2) and carries at its lower end a suitable gear mechanism, not shown, which meshes with a complementary gear or pinion on a shaft 82 that extends outwardly from the housing 83 so as to be connected to a pitman 84. The exposed end of the shaft 82 is threaded to receive a retaining nut 85 for clamping the parts in position. The steering knuckles I3 and I4 of the front wheels are operatively connected to the steering wheel I! by a short tie rod 86 having at one end a universal joint connection as at 81 with the steering knuckle I3 (Fig. 1) and a universal joint connection 88 with the arm 20 of the pitman I8. A

long tie rod 89 is similarly connected as at 90.

with the steering knuckle I4 and at ill with the arm I9 of the pitman I8. In order to effect turning of the front wheels by the auxiliary steering wheel 8| an inclined auxiliary rod 02, substanto the pitman 84 at a point in advance of the connection of the column I5.

An auxiliary clutch pedal 91 (Fig, 2), similar in construction to the clutch pedal 23, is located adjacent the feet of the occupant of the car next to the driver, and is pivotedly supported as at 38 by a bracket on the frame I0. The pedal 81' is connected as at 99 with the forward end of a rod I00, and the rear end of the rod I00 is connected as at IOI to a link I02 on the transverse rod 33, so that actuation of either of the clutch pedals 23 or 91 will cause rotation of the shaft 33,

Thus it willbe seen that the common connections of the auxiliary'clutch pedal 31 and pedal 23 with the transverse shaft 33 and the connections of the auxiliary brake pedal I03 and pedal 63 with the transverse shaft I2 will simultaneously cause the actuation of the clutch pedals when one of these pedals is depressed and, likewise movement of the brake pedals when one of them is actuated. The steering wheel I1 and its associate parts together with the clutch pedal 23 and brake pedal 63 adjacent the driver seat of the car, constitute the primary operating and steering mechanism while the auxiliary steering wheel 8| together with the auxiliary clutch pedal 91 and auxiliary brake pedal I03 provides an auxiliary operating and steering mechanism disposed on the non-driving or auxiliary drivers side of the vehicle. In other words dual means operatively connected to the clutch mechanism and to the brake mechanism of the car are provided for releasing the clutch or applying the brakes and for steering the car when either the primary operating and steering mechanism under the control of the driver are operated or when the auxiliary operating and steering mechanism under th control of the occupant of the front seat adjacent the driver, are actuated.

An accelerator pedal I09 (Fig. 6) is operatively connected to the carburetor II 0 in any suitable manner and as shown, is attached to a substantially U-shaped rocker arm I II by a link H2. The

' rocker arm I II is rotatably supported in spaced tially the same length as the rod 86, is attached at its upper end as at 33 by a universal joint connection to the pitman 84 and at its lower end as at 94 to a clamp 95 secured to the long tie rod 83 f by the bolts 96 adjacent the pitman I8. The

lower end 'of the auxiliary steering column extends forwardly a slightly greater distance than the steering column I6 so as not to interfere with the oil pump casing, not shown, and is connected bearings or brackets H3 and is connected as at H4 to one end of a link H5. The opposite end of the link H5 is connected as at H6 (Fig. 7) to a depending arm of a bell crank H! which in turn has its upper horizontal arm connected at H8 to a link I I9 connected at I20 to a bell crank I2I pivoted at I22 to a bracket I23 secured at I24 to one side of the engine block I25. A transverse rod I26 is connected at one end as at I21 to the bell crank I2I and adjacent its opposite end is slidably co inected as at I28 with the arm of a bell crank I29 pivoted by a rotatable shaft I30 to a bracket I3I that extends outwardly from the engine block. The shaft I30 preferably is operatively connected to a suitable valve not shown in the carburetor H0, for controlling the flow of the combustible mixture to the engine. An auxiliary accelerator pedal I 32 is also operatively connected to the carburetor H0 through a link I33 and a substantially Z-shaped rocker arm I34 secured to the car by the spaced straps I35. A bell crank I36 is pivoted as at I31 to the bracket I3I and has its upper arm connected as at I38 to the outwardly bent end portion I39 of the rocker arm I34. The other arm of the bell crank I36 is connected by a vertical link I40 to the horizontal arm I of the bell crank I 30 as at I42 so that the flow of the combustible mixture through the carburetor H0 may be controlled either by the actuation of the primary accelerator I 09 or the auxiliar accelerator I32.

driver.

The free endof the transverse rod in is preferably provided with a head or collar I I3 between which and the vertical arm of the bell crank I29 is confined a coil spring I to provide a yieldable connection.

The auxiliary steering column 80 may have associated therewith a gear shift lever 5 so that the auxiliary driver may take over at any time complete control of the operation and steering of the vehicle. In the event the gear shift lever I45 is omitted the auxiliary driver may conveniently use his left hand to actuate the lever 2| to shift the gears when he has complete con- 4 trol of the car. Means such as wires I46 (Fig. 2)

may extend from a horn or other suitable electrical signal device, not shown, so as to pass through either or both of the steering columns I5 or 80 and be connected to a button I" adjacent each of the steering wheels l1 and 8| respectively.

Thus, a simple, efficient and inexpensive dual control mechanism is provided which may be used to instruct operators or beginners, and which will allow either occupant of the front seat to take over the control and operation of the car. Assuming that the dual control mechanism is used for instruction purposes, it will be seen that the instructor may at any time assume control of the car by the simple expedient of actuating the auxiliary clutch pedal 91 and the auxiliary brake pedal I 03 so as to disconnect the engine from the wheels of thevehicle and bring the car to a stop to avoid an accident or collision. The instructor may also assist the beginner or novice in the proper handling of the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals since when the instructor actuates any one of these pedals it will in turn cause a simultaneous movement to be imparted to the pedals under the control of the driver.

of the front seat may take over the operation and steering of the car without disturbing or interfering with the mechanism under control of the driver. This is a very desirable feature, particularly when driving long distances and also provides safety means which will allow the occupant of the front seat adjacent the driver, in an emergency to assume control of the vehicle in the event that the driver, for any reason, becomes physically incapacitated or to avoid a collision should the car get out of control of the ill It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown and described is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment and that such changes may be made as fall within the purview of one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a motor vehicle, dual control means for operating and steering the vehicle, said means including a primary operating and steering mechanism on the "driver side of the vehicle and an auxiliary operating and steering mechanism on the non-driving or auxiliary driver side of the vehicle, the primary operating and steering mechanism including a long steering rod connected to one of the front wheels and a short steering rod connected to the other front wheel, an auxiliary steering rod connected at one end to the long steering rod, and means operatively connecting the other end of the auxiliary steering rod to the auxiliary steering mechanism.

2. In combination with a motor vehicle, dual I control means for operating and steering the vehicle, said means including primary braking, clutching, steering, and gas controlling mechanisms on the drivers'side of the vehicle, and auxiliary braking, clutching, steering and gas controlling mechanisms on the auxiliary driver side of the vehicle, said primary and auxiliary mechanisms each including a clutch pedal. a brake pedal, a steering wheel and steering wheel linkage, and an accelerator pedal, a transverse rocker shaft connected to the sides of the vehicle, means operatively connecting the brake pedals to said shaft to effect movement of the brake mechanism upon the .operation of my one of the brake pedals, a second transverse rocker shaft connected to the sides of the vehicle, means operatively connecting the clutching pedals to the second rocker shaft to actuate the clutch mechanism when any one of the clutch pedals is operated, means operatively connecting each of the accelerator pedals to the gas controlling mechanism to efiect operation of the accelerator mechanism when any one of the accelerator pedals is operated, and means independently conother driver.

ROBERT B. SPRINKEL. 

